Establish a climate of trust
· Honor each volunteer’s thoughts—even those different from your own
· Lay out procedures and process at beginning of term and honor it
· Follow through—do what you say you will or contact volunteer to explain something has changed
· Get to personally know everyone on the committee—find out something about each member
· Constantly reinforce the value of each member
· Listen and react to volunteers’ ideas
· Share information and reveal how money is spent
· What’s said in the room stays in the room
· Return emails and calls promptly
· Provide supplies or needs quickly upon request
· Learn each committee member’s name
· Share background bio with all members of committee
· Take deliberate steps for the induction of new members
· Distribute volunteer handbook to everyone on day one
· Avoid micromanagement—allow the members to do the tasks they’re working on
· Accept comments thoughtfully without negative feedback immediately
· Be open and honest—if you have a personal agenda, admit it
· Put schedules and timelines in writing and stick to them
· On conference calls, ask “what do you think? I need your opinion.”
· Review all ideas, pros and cons, about an issue
· Preface a meeting with the comment that there are no right or wrong answers
· Ensure committee members know one another—introduce everyone
· Base committee decisions on a vote or consensus
· Share correspondence and don’t keep secrets
· Hold a retreat, including a ropes course to establish trust among staff and volunteers
· Pitch in as a leader on every project possible
· Meet informally as well as formally to teambuild
· Assemble agenda well in advance, allowing input
· First seek to understand, then to be understood
· Acknowledge mistakes
· Have open meetings that allow others to attend and speak
· Run an icebreaker to get members comfortable
· Take them out to play tennis—have fun on court
· Email committee minutes immediately after meeting
· Treat everyone the same—be consistent
· Have breakfast at the Annual and Semi-Annual Meetings to catch up and discuss new initiatives
Ideas compiled at the 2003 USTA Semi-Annual Meeting
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